UN Body Seeks Action to Outlaw Racist, Nazi Organizations, Halt Their Activities

The General Assembly’s Social. Humanitarian and Cultural (Third) Committee, adopted a draft resolution today under which the General Assembly “once again resolutely condemns racism, Nazism, apartheid and all similar ideologies and practices which are based on racial intolerance and terror as a gross violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms and of the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and which may jeopardize world peace.”

The resolution also calls upon all states to take “legislative and other positive measures” to outlaw groups and organizations disseminating propaganda for racism, Nazism, apartheid and other forms of racial intolerance. It would also call on all states and organizations to seek the eradication of these ideologies and would request the Secretary-General to survey measures to halt racist, Nazi and similar activities. The resolution would have the General Assembly commit itself to consideration of the question at its 24th session next year. The resolution was carried by a vote of 80 to one, with no abstentions, after there had been 21 votes on proposed amendments.

The resolution expressed concern that despite previous condemnation of racism and Nazism by the General Assembly, groups and organizations continued to be active in propagating ideologies based on terrorism and racial intolerance. It warned that “such ideologies have in the past led to barbarous acts which outraged the conscience of mankind and to other heinous violations of human rights and, eventually, to a war which brought indescribable suffering to mankind.”